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Backgrounds
'Alchemist' "Alchemists spend their time studying and researching, trying to replicate strange experiments, transmute lead into gold, or discover the key to immortality. On a usual day, however, alchemists work to produce simple tools and chemicals to aid them in their everyday adventures, including healing potions and corrosive acid vials." Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Nature Tool Proficiencies: Artisan's tools (alchemist's supplies), herbalism kit Equipment: A set alchemist's supplies, a formula/potion logbook, writing utensils, a set of empty potion vials in a leather case, a set of common clothes, a backpack, and a belt pouch containing 10gp Feature: Research: You can always track down locations to buy and trade alchemical supplies in cities, or find the company of like-minded individuals. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food or a modest or comfortable standard, as long as you assist in the lab each day. There are places in the world where your work is especially rewarded, where continued work can make you a local figure, and strangers may begin to recognize you and take a liking to you. 'Archaeologist' "An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen cultures of the past by studying their remains-their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and their tombs. Those who practice archaeology travel to the far corners of the world to root through crumbled cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priests, wars and cataclysms. Prior to becoming an adventurer, you spent most of your young life crawling around in the dust, pilfering relics of questionable value from crypts and ruins. Archaologists often sell discoveries for coin in order to afford adventuring gear. Many archaeologists also carry with them an item of great emotional value; a signature item. Such an item might be a 10-foot pole, a crowbar, a hat, a hooded lantern, a medallion, a shovel, a sledgehammer, a whip, or any other manner of item found or used when exploring." Skill Proficiencies: History, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's tools or Navigator's tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner's pick, a set of traveler's clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing 25 gp Feature: Historical Knowledge: When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly ascertain its original purpose and determine its builders, whether those were gnomes, elves, hobgoblins, druids, or some other known group. In addition, you can determine the monetary value of art objects more than a century old. 'City Watch' "You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible enemies. Instead, your service to your hometown was to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe. Even if you're not city-born or city-bred, this background can describe your early years as a member of law enforcement. Most settlements of any size have their own constables and police forces, and even smaller communities have sheriffs and baliffs who stand ready to protect their community." Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit and indicative of your rank, a horn with which to summon help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Watcher's Eye: Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you're more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter. Variant: Appraiser Rarer than watch or patrol members are a community's appraisers, who are responsible for monitoring and preventing the rise of powerful magical threats. Sometimes referred to as "magic police" by scornful cityfolk, appraisers are seldom found in rural areas, but nearly every settlement of decent size has at least one or two appraisers who keep tabs on magic users. Appraisers don't necessarily view all applications of high level magic as a negative, and in fact are more inclined to handwave magic used by themselves or allies as necessary or harmless. As an appraiser, instead of the normal options for city watch, your skill proficiencies are Investigation, and one of your choice from among Arcana, Nature, Psionics, or Religion. Some more assertive appraisers also have proficiency with thieves' tools rather than a second extra language. 'Cloistered Scholar' "As a child you were inquisitive when your playmates were possessive or raucous. In your formative years, you found your way into one of the great institutes of learning, where you were apprenticed and taught that knowledge is a more valuable treasure than gold or gems. Now you are ready to leave your home -- not to abandon it, but to quest for new lore and to add to its storehouse of knowledge." Skill Proficiencies: History, and your choice of one from among Arcana, Nature, Psionics, or Religion Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: The scholar's robes of your cloister, a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife), a borrowed book on the subject of your current study, and a pouch containing 10 gp Feature: Library Access: Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical,or secret to permit anyone immediate access.You have a working knowledge of your cloister's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections with some ease. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy shown to a fellow scholar. 'Faction Agent' "Many organizations active in Narul aren't bound by strictures of geography. These factions pursue their agendas without regard for political boundaries, and their members operate anywhere the organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for use by the faction's operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don't merely fulfill a small function for that organization, but who serve as its hands, head, and heart. As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as an agent of a particular faction in Narul. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn't necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction." Skill Proficiencies: Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: Badge or emblem of your faction, a copy of a seminal faction text (or a code-book for a covert faction), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp Feature: Safe Haven: As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities. Factions of Narul The lack of large, centralized governments in the majority of Narul is likely directly responsible for the proliferation of secret societies and conspiracies in those lands. Even in the major cities, most of the old factions are dead, leaving those who still follow the traditions as a fractured group of agents struggling to rebuild order and reclaim old lands. Choose one of the following factions. Emerald Enclave Maintaining balance in the natural order and combating the forces that threaten that balance is the twofold goal of the Emerald Enclave. Said to have originated from a church built to honor the primeval Simurgh, the Enclave is now most commonly seen in peaceful settlements outside of major cities, and has no central authority. Those who serve the faction are masters of survival and living off the land. They often seek assistance from woodsmen, hunters, rangers, barbarian tribes, druid circles, and priests who revere the gods of nature. Those of the Emerald Enclave are usually proficient in Nature, though Animal Handling, Medicine, and Survival are common as well. Oligarchy The Oligarchy is the only faction that still operates openly in Narul, though that doesn't necessarily imply that it's the most powerful or well-run. Mostly made up of oracles and others with the ability to predict the future, the Oligarchy is based in Eon Sanctum on the continent of Isola. First founded by Patchouli Delphi shortly before the Fracturing, the gnome led a force of oracles to the battle that would result in the world being torn apart. In modern times, the Oligarchy is mostly paralyzed by differing opinions on how to move forward. Some frustrated younger members set out into the world to make the changes they feel are needed, while others work within the organization to gain more influence and push things in the right direction. The most common proficiencies are Psionics and Religion, followed by History and Performance. Order of the Dark The Order of the Dark was initially founded some centuries ago, though following the Fracturing, the group fell into disarray without leadership, and most of its adherents became ronin and mercenaries. Even if the Order still existed, its reputation is stained from murders and raids done in the Order's name following its collapse. Even the tall castle that stood in Blackstone Altar was dismantled as a way to remove the blight of the Order from the world -- but that wasn't enough to sway the true believers. Those that still adhere to the Order often do so in secret, but usually have some ties to the dark energies that exist in the world, and use them to try and establish order. Black knights and warlocks are the most likely to look to the dark for answers, and try to revive the Order in the name of their ancient champion, Thanatos. Followers are most often proficient in Arcana, Intimidation, Persuasion, or Religion. Weavers Sometimes referred to as the Weavers of Fate or Fateweavers, the Weavers were an ancient faction of psychic users who operated in the shadows, driving world events in the way they saw fit. Situated in Nios Ananto and led by the champion Nocturne, the Weavers were a militant group that recruited and trained talented psychics as soldiers, assassins, messengers, or spies. Most of the followers scattered when Nocturne was killed, and her mental domination over many of the weaker followers also ended, granting them freedom from the slavery they had been subject to. Though traditionally Weavers kept their ranks gender-segregated, and almost exclusively elven or kitsune, modern followers come in all shapes and sizes. Weavers usually adhered to a doctrine of "greater good," willing to do terrible things in the name of advancement. Today, of course, the faction is much weaker, with no clear leaders, only a few scrambling to maintain importance. Those looking to add to their numbers also tend to soften the viciousness of their original make, in order to appeal more broadly to modern sensibilities. Weavers are almost always proficient in Psionics, but may also choose from Deception, Investigation, or Perception. 'Far Traveler' "Almost all of the common people and other folk that one might encounter have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling more than a few miles from where they were born. You aren't one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk realize that it exists, and chances are good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Narul for your own reasons, which you might or might not choose to share. Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land's ways to be strange and discomfiting, you can also be sure that some things its people take for granted will be to you new wonders that you've never laid eyes on before. By the same token, you're a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go. A far traveler might have set out on a journey for one of a number of reasons, and the departure from his or her homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. You might be an emissary, exile, sightseer, fugitive, or simply a wanderer or pilgrim on an adventure." Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Perception Tool Proficiencies: Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice, likely something native to your homeland Languages: Any one of your choice Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, poorly wrought maps from your homeland that depict where you are in Narul, a small piece of jewelry worth 10 gp in the style of your homeland's craftsmanship, and a pouch containing 5 gp Feature: All Eyes On You: Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your homeland. You can parley this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about your distant homeland and people. 'Gladiator' "Gladiators are combat-centric characters who pride in one on one battles. Gladiators enjoy showing off and performing, and love the thrill of a good audience and the attention that a good duel brings." Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Performance Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of gaming set Equipment: A championship trophy (belt, pin, necklace, etc), a set of common clothes, a costume, a disguise kit, and a belt pouch containing 10gp Feature: Professional Combatant: You can always find a place to perform, usually in arenas or just a simple alleyway. In a typical day you can simply work for food, or seek out a more challenging encounter for larger rewards. The types of individuals who run fighting rings are not always on the up and up, but can always be tapped for information. 'Smith' "Smiths are talented crafters and capable fighters. Most smiths are strong from their time spent working, and can be quite capable with the arms and armor they create. Talented smiths help drive an adventure-based economy, and some even adventure themselves in search of inspiration and rare materials." Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools Language Proficiencies: One of your choice Equipment: A simple melee weapon of your choice, a lamp with one flask (1 pint) of oil, a set of common clothes, a set of heavy gloves and boots, a set of artisan's tools, and a belt pouch containing 5gp Feature: Forge Familiarity: You have a keen eye for quality weapons and armor, and can pick out the features of equipment more keenly than others with a lesser-trained eye. This information is not always useful, but for instance, but you may be able to discern a weapon's maker or its place of origin. This eye for detail sometimes extends to working out the characteristics and weaknesses of creatures, if they happen to be animated objects or certain types of constructs. 'War Priest' "War Priests form the core of the church's martial forces -- reclaiming lost relics, rescuing captured clergy, and defending the church's tenets from all challenges. While acolytes might be subtle and use diplomacy to accomplish their aims, war priests aren't above using violence whenever the situation warrants it." Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Medicine Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit Language Proficiencies: One of your choice Equipment: A holy symbol, a set of common clothes, a flask of holy water, an herbalism kit, and a belt pouch containing 10gp Feature: Disciple: You command the respect of those who share your faith. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Similarly, you are also a go-to for any tasks the church needs, and you may be able to pick up additional leads, information, or tasks by visiting a temple or speaking with a priestess.